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In the early 60s, Michael Iheonukara Okpara, former premier of the defunct Eastern Region, had an industrialization policy, which he vigorously pursued.
From agriculture, manufacturing to mining, the commitment to grow the economy of the region was obvious.
However, Okpara also recognized the importance of hospitality as a key enabler of investments, hence the attention to the sector with the establishment of the Hotel Presidential brand in two major cities of the region then, Enugu, the capital and Port Harcourt, the industrial hub.
Hotel Presidential Enugu and Hotel Presidential Port Harcourt, Rivers State were both commissioned in 1963 as symbols of resilience, elegance and enterprise.
At its heyday, Hotel Presidential Enugu was a symbol of the Eastern Region.
Moreover, the hotel served as a significant landmark and hub for government, tourism and business, same as the Port Harcourt outlet until time, neglect and mismanagement took a huge toll, and sadly deemed the light on Okpara’s vision.
Of course, the ruins of the Enugu hotel were too gory for those who witnessed its heyday and others who also patronized it before it became desolate about 16 years ago.
But, there were also efforts in the almost two decades of the abandonment to resuscitate the hotel that neither lasted nor yielded the expected results.
One of them was in 2016 when the Enugu State government engaged E-Hospitality Services Limited (EHSL), as a concessionaire to restore the hotel.
Then, there was noise in the air for the restoration and many were anticipating a refreshed hotel based on the assurance of timely completion and delivery by the concessionaire.
Also then, Justin Chuma Anosike, vice chairman/CEO, E-Hospitality Services Limited, said that the company has since mobilized to site and achieved some milestones including: regularisation of statutory documents of Hotel Presidential Limited, conduct of feasibility and business studies, engagement of world class professional consultants, conduct of hydrological and top graphical surveys, and conduct of structural integrity test on building.
Others are; conduct of environmental impact assessment, complete strip out of pipes, wires, among others in the entire building, and complete waterproofing and refurbishment of roof.
Sadly, Primeview Hotels Ltd, a special purpose vehicle incorporated to facilitate the transaction and concessionary agreement between EHSL and Enugu State Government, did not commence the second phase of the restoration work as promised by EHSL.
Coupled with a lawsuit filed by a party, which allegedly had a previous interest in the hotel, that restoration exercise failed.
But on August 21, 2025, the hospitality landscape of Enugu State and the South-East in general, celebrated the comeback of the once jewel of hospitality in the zone.
Credit goes to the Peter Mbah-led administration in Enugu State, whose magic wand has seen the restoration of the 100-room hotel, built 62 years ago and abandoned for 16 years, after many failed efforts.
As Mbah rightly noted at the inauguration, the revival of the edifice was “a homecoming for history.”
The restoration feat was inspired by the governor’s commitment and strong pledge to recover what belongs to the people.
It was also in line with his campaign promise to recover Enugu’s moribund assets and also grow the state’s economy sevenfold from the current $4 billion to over $30 billion.
“This unveiling is more than opening the doors of a hotel; it is the reopening of Enugu’s confidence. It is a tangible sign that when we say Enugu is open for business, we mean business.
“This hotel is a strategic enabler of our growth plan, comprising the ambitious target to grow Enugu’s economy seven-fold to at least $30 billion and to achieve a zero percent poverty headcount rate,” he said.
The governor also attested to world-class quality facilities and services at the refreshed hotel, saying that “when Enugu says ‘welcome’ to its investors, our hospitality infrastructure speaks with the same credibility as our policies.”
Again, credit goes particularly to the governor for making the right choices in the restoration exercise, void of delays and lawsuits that crippled past efforts of restoring the hotel.
First, the choice of Dilworth as the contractor, due its attention to details.
Secondly, the choice of Amber Hospitality, a concessionaire with a hospitality background and growing portfolio of clientele.
In his defence of the choice of concessionaire, the governor noted that Amber Hospitality, “brings on board an enviable pedigree, earned through the efficient management of about 12 successful brands in the hospitality sector.”
As well, the commitments of the successive commissioners of Works and Infrastructure and their Culture and Tourism counterpart for working to realise the project, cannot be over emphasized.
Today, the restored 100-room Hotel Presidential Enugu is open, offering world-class services and facilities to many guests thronging Enugu lately, including lawyers from across the country for the just-concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual conference in Enugu.
The opening has also opened many job opportunities (direct and indirect) for Enugu people; from hospitality skills to suppliers and distribution businesses.
Again, the airlines especially Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline, can now heave a sigh of relief as the hotel is offering befitting accommodation for its highly trained pilots, crew members and high-profile guests they fly in and out of Enugu.
Like Governor Mbah said, the unveiling of the restored Hotel Presidential Enugu is more than opening the doors of a hotel; “it is the reopening of Enugu’s confidence”.
